NHL Free Agency Contracts That Made You Go Whoa!! – Eastern Conference
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The madness of NHL Free Agency Frenzy has come and gone, and the NHL Offseason has come to a screeching halt. With July 1 in the rearview mirror, the only things on the docket right now are for RFAs to get new contracts or go to arbitration.

Little by little, these RFAs are signing new deals while there are new breaks from around the NHL. But it is summer, after all, and these teams do need a break.

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What better time to look back on July 1’s madness and break down the NHL Free Agency contracts that had made many people go and left them wondering why? Our two-part series began with the Western Conference. Time to move onto the Eastern Conference.

NHL Free Agency Contracts That Were A Bit Too Much

Elias Lindholm – Boston Bruins – 7 years x $7.75 million

The Boston Bruins and Elias Lindholm were a match made in heaven from the start. We will see if it is truly heaven. But the Bruins needed a number-one center after losing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle were not the answer.

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While centers come at a premium and teams have to pay, seven years at $7.75 million is a steep price for a player who had 44 points (15 goals and 29 assists) last season in 75 games played between the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.

Lindholm and the Flames had two seasons where he topped 70 points. In 2018-19, he registered 78 points; in 2021-22, he had 84 points. Other than that, he is a 50-60 point player. His playoffs with Vancouver were good, with 10 points in 13 games, but still, this is a long-term risk for Boston.

Is that worth seven years at $7.75 million a season? The Bruins better hope that production goes up, centering the top line of David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.

Jake Guentzel– Tampa Bay Lightning – 7 years x $9 million

Normally, this contract would not be in the NHL Free Agency contracts category that made you go whoa, but considering the Lightning chose Guentzel over Steven Stamkos, this contract finds its way onto the list.

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Guentzel is a good player, and the Lightning decided to go in another direction, moving on from their captain and eight-time 40-goal scorer. It is not fair for Guentzel to follow Stamkos, but the decision-making by GM Julien BriseBois makes many people wonder why.

Jake “The Snake” Guentzel can produce in the playoffs and is a Stanley Cup Champion; however, seven years at $9 million is high for a team that is up against the cap and took on Ryan McDonagh‘s salary of $6.75 million. Guentzel has scored 40 goals twice.

But Guentzel is making similar money to Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. Again this is just the first season, so let’s see how it plays out, but right now this is a, what are you doing contract.

Sean Monahan– Columbus Blue Jackets – 5 years x $5.5 million

As NHLRumors.com has documented, the Columbus Blue Jackets hope that Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau can rekindle their magic from their days with the Calgary Flames.

However, the five-year contract stands out as Monahan had his first healthy season in a few years. Between the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets, Monahan racked up 59 points (26 goals and 33 assists). Again, centers are in a different tier, so the AAV of $5.5 million may seem high, but that is the price you have to pay for a ‘number-one’ center.

Let’s see if he can stay healthy with the Blue Jackets and be the guy they need him to be. If he can’t, the term will look bad, and so will the dollar amount.

Honorable Mention

Nikita Zadorov – Boston Bruins – 6 years x $5 million

Similar to the Western Conference Contracts That Made You Go, Whoa, the Bruins have a second member on this list, and it was their big free agent signing on defense, Nikita Zadorov. Zadorov signed a six-year deal with an AAV of $5 million.

The Bruins wanted to upgrade their defense, and Matt Grzelcyk signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. They already have Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy on the top pair. Now, the Bruins signed Zadorov to anchor the second pair and one of the power play units.

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However, the length is too long for a player who bounces between Buffalo, Colorado, Chicago, Calgary, and Vancouver. Zadorov has not had more than 22 points in a season. His most goals were 14 in 2022-23 with the Flames. And his production is nonexistent on the power play.

It was surprising to see Boston sign him because few people had the Bruins on Zadorov’s radar. Seeing how he performs in the B’s system will be interesting.

That does it for NHL Free Agency Contracts that made you go, Whoa, from the Eastern Conference. Here is the link to the Western Conference.